Inspired by the special international loan exhibition "Impressionists by the Sea", the first "Sunday Serenades" concert this year, under the artistic direction of HSO Concertmaster Leonid Sigal, will offer European musical masterpieces composed during the 19th and 20th centuries by Ravel, Saint-Saëns, Ibert, Rota, Andres, and Grandjany.
The concert will feature Sigal on violin, HSO cellist Peter Zay, and recently appointed Principal Harpist Heidi Gorton. (Please see full program information below).
From rustic fishing villages to fashionable beachside resorts, the transformation of the Normandy and Brittany coasts was a favorite subject of many French 19th century artists. The development of this theme between the 1850s and the 1890s is explored in "Impressionists by the Sea", which highlights the radical modernity of Monet, Renoir, Manet, and others by comparing their canvases to those of their predecessors, such as Corot, Courbet, Isabey, Jongkind, and Whistler.
The exhibition also includes works by their contemporaries allied with the Paris Salon, notably Boudin, Daubigny, and Pelouse.
The second "Sunday Serenades" concert this spring is scheduled for Sunday, May 18 at 2:00 p.m. -- www.hartfordsymphony.org
